I-shaped pillow to maintain hairstyle

ABSTRACT

An I-shaped pillow has a curved slot that fits the contour of a person&#39;s head and neck to allow them to comfortably sleep on their back. The pillow further includes a slot at the bottom to prevent the pillow from lying flat on a surface. This prevents a user from having their hair make contact with pillow, providing people with a convenient way to get a good night&#39;s sleep without flattening their hairstyle. The pillow provides neck support while sleeping, helping relieve neck pain. The pillow can be used by anyone looking to maintain their hairstyle during their sleep.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional application No. 61/658,247, filed Jun. 11, 2012, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to pillows and, more particularly, to a pillow designed with a curved slot to fit the contour of a person's head and neck, allowing him or her to comfortably sleep on his or her back while maintaining their hairstyle.

Many people spend a lot of money at the salon to get their hair fixed and styled. If they want to keep their hairstyle for the next day, then they have to protect it at night. There are not many options to do so outside of uncomfortably propping their head, neck and shoulders up. If people try to sleep without protecting their hairstyle, their hair can become frizzy, matted or pulled out of place during the night. Moreover, if someone wants to rest during the day by taking a quick nap, one could end up spending more time re-doing their hair than sleeping, as many people may not want the flattened “nap hair” evident.

Additionally, many people simply suffer from neck pain and are always looking for a more comfortable way to sleep.

As can be seen, there is a need for a pillow that can be comfortable to use, allows a person to get a good night's sleep, and protects their hairstyle while sleeping.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a method of supporting a user's neck and head while lying supine on a surface comprises placing the user's neck and head on a pillow disposed on the surface; and allowing hair of the user to rest on the surface without being flattened by either the pillow or by pressure of the user's head against the surface, wherein the pillow has a rounded I-shape with a neck support arch for receiving the user's neck and a bottom arch, opposite the neck support arch.

In another aspect of the present invention, a method for maintaining a hairstyle while sleeping comprises placing a neck and head of a user on a pillow disposed on a surface; and allowing hair of the user to rest on the surface without being flattened by either the pillow or by pressure of the user's head against the surface, wherein the pillow has a rounded I-shape with a neck support arch for receiving the user's neck and a bottom arch, opposite the neck support arch.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pillow, in use, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the pillow of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the pillow of FIG. 1, in use; and

FIG. 4 is a front view of the pillow of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides an I-shaped pillow that has a curved slot that fits the contour of a person's head and neck to allow them to comfortably sleep on their back. The pillow further includes a slot at the bottom to prevent the pillow from lying flat on a surface. This prevents a user from having their hair make contact with pillow, providing people with a convenient way to get a good night's sleep without flattening their hairstyle. The pillow provides neck support while sleeping, helping relieve neck pain. The pillow can be used by anyone looking to maintain their hairstyle during their sleep.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 4, a pillow 10 can be formed in an I-shaped, generally as a rounded I-shape as best shown, for example, in FIG. 4. The pillow 10 can include a concave neck support arch 14 disposed on one side of the pillow 10. On an opposite side of the pillow 10, a concave bottom arch 16 can be disposed. Reinforced corners 12 can help prevent the pillow 10 from flattening during use. The neck support arch 14 can fit the contour of the user's neck 18 and head, allowing them to comfortably sleep on their back, as shown in FIG. 1, for example.

The pillow 10 allows a person to sleep without their head pressing against the bed, helping maintaining the style of the person's hair 20. Typically, the pillow 10 can be disposed below the user's hairline at the back of the head so that neither the pillow 10 nor the surface on which the user is resting (such as their bed) interferes with or flattens their hairstyle.

The pillow 10 can be made from a viscoelastic polyurethane foam, commonly known as memory foam. The pillow 10 can have a higher viscosity and density than conventional foam so that the material softens in reaction to body head, allowing it to mold to a warm body in a few minutes, thereby providing additional comfort to the user.

The pillow 10 can be designed in various sizes to suit the needs of the user. For example, various contours and neck/head supporting heights can be designed for the comfort of the user. In some embodiments, the pillow height (at the sides thereof) can be from about 8 to about 16 inches, typically about 12 inches, while the concave surfaces (neck support arch 14 and bottom arch 16) can come together for a minimum width from about 4 to about 6 inches, typically about 4½ inches. The length of the pillow can be from about 12 to about 18 inches, typically about 15 inches.

In some embodiments of the present invention, a method for maintain one's hairstyle during sleep is provided. The method can include placing the pillow 10 of the present invention under one's neck and lower portion of their head to adequately support the head and neck such that the person's hair is not flattened by either the pillow or the user's head against the sleeping surface.

The pillow 10 of the present invention can be covered with various materials and can be covered in various colors or patterns. In some embodiments, the cover can be removable for washing.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of supporting a user's neck and head while lying supine on a surface, the method comprising: placing the user's neck and head on a pillow disposed on the surface; and allowing hair of the user to rest on the surface without being flattened by either the pillow or by pressure of the user's head against the surface, wherein the pillow has a rounded I-shape with a neck support arch for receiving the user's neck and a bottom arch, opposite the neck support arch.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pillow is formed from a viscoelastic polyurethane foam.
 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising warming the pillow with body heat to cause the pillow to conform to the user's neck and head.
 4. A method for maintaining a hairstyle while sleeping, comprising: placing a neck and head of a user on a pillow disposed on a surface; and allowing hair of the user to rest on the surface without being flattened by either the pillow or by pressure of the user's head against the surface, wherein the pillow has a rounded I-shape with a neck support arch for receiving the user's neck and a bottom arch, opposite the neck support arch.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the pillow is formed from a viscoelastic polyurethane foam.
 6. The method of claim 4, further comprising warming the pillow with body heat to cause the pillow to conform to the user's neck and head.
 7. The method of claim 4, wherein the neck support arch and the bottom arch form a concave curve on opposite sides of the pillow with a reduction in width from about 2 to about 12 inches.
 8. The method of claim 4, wherein the neck support arch and the bottom arch form a concave curve on opposite sides of the pillow with a reduction in width of about 7.5 inches. 